Well said Brynn, well said.

I would add that growth and awareness can’t happen until we move away from our comfort zone into new adventure, new experience…and for the fun of it.

Thanks for the good response – I agree.
Sharon O’Hara

I’ve been to several of these ‘diversity’ talks. It seems like they were always about celebrating diversity, instead of sharing diversity and celebrating commonality. From what you wrote, I would have enjoyed it.

It’s hard to rate “happiness” because “happy” has a different meaning for different people based on their personal experiences.

In relation to Dr. Betances comment, I took it to mean this:

If I only hung out with people who were just like me — tall, blonde, late 20s, from a “regular” upbringing who liked all the same things as me — then I wouldn’t grow as a person. If I only stayed in my neighborhood, or town, and never went other places to see different lifestyles, then I wouldn’t be growing as a person. It’s not to say I would be a bad person, but I wouldn’t be pushing myself to my fullest potential.

By traveling to other countries, putting myself into positions where I don’t know anyone, and becoming friends with people who had upbringings different than my own, I learn more about the world, and more about myself. To me, that is a learning/growing experience.

Differences don’t mean you have to have friction. I don’t think Denmark is a happy country because they have little diversity. There are a lot of factors, including socio-economic, education, government, etc., that likely contribute to that country’s happiness.

I would guess if you introduced “diversity” into their culture, and kept everything else the same, they would still be happy.

The more you step outside yourself and your comfort zone, the more likely you are to grow and learn things about yourself you never realized.

With that growth, if you’re willing, could also come the opening of your mind, and your ability to be more accepting of other people, cultures and races.

That’s what I took his comment to mean.

–Brynn

But are we happier without ‘own kind’? I ask because I recently saw a program listing the ‘Happiest Country’…and it sure didn’t put us anywhere near the top of the Happy list.

One of the Happiest Country was Denmark. Why? Because they have little diversity. Almost all in Denmark are Danes who understood each other. They have no friction to speak of and share the same values.

If memory serves Singapore was on the list for its rules of conduct. People knew what to expect if they broke a ‘rule’…and few did. The punishment for breaking a rule/law was swift.
People are apparently happier knowing the rules and that the rules are enforced.

We learn and grow with diversity but we are not, apparently, ‘happier’ for it…according to the tv show.
Sharon O’Hara